Mandalas

1
Mandalas

• Mandalas

2
What is a Mandala?
3
What is a symbol?

• A picture that means many things like.

4
What is a Mandala?

• Originated in Tibet 2000 years ago
• Tibetans use it to calm themselves and think
  about the meaning of life
• Intricately illustrated
• Used for meditation
• Show individual or cultural uniqueness
• Many cultures use it
• Aztec
• Asia
• Native Americans

5
Aztec Calendar

• Timekeeping
• Religious uses

6
Taoist Yin-Yang Symbol

• To show opposition and interdependence

7
Native Americans
Sand painting

• Medicine wheels

8
Why a circle?

• What are some things a circle can symbolize or
  represent?

9
Why a circle?

• Represents harmony and wholeness of life
• Universal shape eye, sun snowflake, moon, circle
  of friends, the atom, cells, nucleus
• A simple representation of WHO YOU ARE
• Using symbols that represent you
• Peace, love, friendship, etc

10
.

• You are going to create your own symbolic
  picture representing aspects of your life! Your
  own mandala

11
Visualizations

• Close your eyes
• Picture the scenes Im going to describe
• Open when I say
• Write or draw what you thought about

12
Visualization 1

• Think about a significant day in your life.
• Who was there?
• Where were you?
• What was happening?
• Why is the day so important to you?

13
Visualization 2

• Think about a series of favorite locations of
  your childhood.
• Why is each place special? What does it
  represent?
• Dads lap?
• Grandmas kitchen stool
• A secret hiding place under a tree

14
Visualization 3

• Envision the people closest to you.
• Who are they?
• See their faces
• View their actions
• What have they done or what do they do that makes
  them special?

15
Visualization 4

• Think about the objects in your life that are
  most important to you.
• What are they?
• Feel yourself holding them
• How do they make you feel?
• Where did you get them?
• Why are they special?

16
Visualization 5

• Think about a difficult time in your life.
• What was going on?
• Why were you struggling?
• Who was there to help you?
• How did you respond the challenge?

17
Visualization 6

• See your life as a journey.
• What does it look like?
• Bumpy road
• River
• Where did the journey begin?
• Where has it led you?
• Where is it heading?
• How has the trip been
• What part was really important, a defining moment?

18
Rough Drafts

• Most important symbol in the middle
• Think of connecting design
• Unifying theme
• Symmetrical pattern